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BASF puts $540 mn steel coatings business for sale
06 November 2015
BASF, the world's largest chemical producer is putting its steel coatings business up for sale, in a deal that could value the business around €500 million ($540 million), Reuters yesterday reported, citing several people familiar with process.
The German chemical company has hired HSBC in helping with the sale process and has opened its steel coatings business books to five industrial players who have shown interest, the report said.
The business generates €60-€70 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) and could fetch about 8 times that much, the report added.
Its steel coatings business is part of BASF's €3 billion coatings unit, which generates 77 per cent of its sales from the automotive industry.
Frankfurt, London and Zurich Stock Exchanges-listed BASF has a broad portfolio ranging from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas.
It has 390 other production sites in Europe, Asia, Australia, Americas and Africa and customers in over 200 countries.
It employs more than 113,000 people and posted net income of €7.2 billion last year on sales of €74.3 billion.
BASF in India has 2,186 employees at about 20 production sites & sales offices and R&D centers in Mumbai and Mangalore. In 2014, BASF had sales of €1.1 billion in India.


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An adult toy company has introduced a saucy new idea -- a vibrator that can order you a pizza after you heat up your nether regions.
CamSoda whipped out a prototype of the device, which they're calling the RubGrub, on Thursday morning. It looks like a standard sex toy, but comes equipped with a switch that acts like an Amazon Dash button and fetches you something to satisfy your other appetite once you finish using it. The device will only be connected to Domino’s at first, but CamSoda Vice President Daryn Parker predicts other national chains will jump on his product if the buzz is loud enough.
Parker says "Masturbation can be a strenuous physical activity during which an individual exerts a lot of energy and burns many calories." In other words, press twice for a side of garlic bread. (Huffington Post)

domain: news


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In the US, three major carriers including T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon is now carrying the LG V10 to LG users.
LG V10 Full Specifications:
LG V10 Phone Photos – LG Cell Phone Pictures
Do you want to repair your LG Watch Urbane smart watch? Here is a collection of free take apart instructions, disassembly pictures and repair manuals, as well as do-it-yourself (DIY) tips and tricks for the LG Watch Urbane.
Let’s get down to business.
The Korean company’s latest flagship, LG G4 was officially available in its native markets starting on April 29th while its worldwide rollout will occur over the next several weeks.
LG G4 Full Specifications:
LG G4 Phone Photos – LG Cell Phone Pictures
Sometime last year LG released a powerhouse smartphone the LG G Flex for AT&T and a few other carriers, and it was quite successful. Now just a few short months later it looks like they are already set to one-up the smartphone as their recently announced LG G Flex 2 with a massive 5.5-inch P-OLED display is expected to be headed to AT&T and Sprint quite soon.
LG G Flex 2 Full Specifications:
LG G Flex 2 Phone Photos – LG Cell Phone Pictures
The LG Tribute is Virgin Mobile’s version of the LG F60. The budget-friendly smartphone now can be your for only $79.99 and for shipping. It has a 4.5-inch WVGA (800×480) IPS display and runs on a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor.
Virgin Mobile LG Tribute Full Specifications:
Virgin Mobile LG Tribute LS660 Photos – LG Cell Phone Pictures
The LG G3 Vigor is essentially a rebranded LG G3 Beat, a mini version of the LG G3. Though the phone sports a similar design to the flagship LG G3, but the trimmed down specs to make it more affordable.
LG G3 Vigor Full Specifications:
LG G3 Vigor Phone Photos – LG Cell Phone Pictures


text: HomeBlockchainStablecoins Can Transfer Value Across Blockchains, Says Vitalik Buterin Stablecoins Can Transfer Value Across Blockchains, Says Vitalik Buterin By Crypto News Pipe May 25, 2020 Blockchain 0 Comments Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin suggested that stablecoins could serve as instant cross-blockchain bridges. Source: Stablecoins Can Transfer Value Across Blockchains, Says Vitalik Buterin Tags:Blockchain Related Posts Blockchain tech’s multipurpose role in driving global advancement Mastercard chooses 7 crypto startups for Start Path accelerator PayPal is Hiring Crypto Engineers Amid Rumors of Bitcoin Integration About Author Crypto News Pipe Crypto News Pipe is a cryptocurrency news aggregator service. It presents a continuous flow of articles organized from thousands of publishers and magazines. Add a Comment Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment:*Name:* Email Address:* Website: Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


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About 77 percent of shareholders who voted gave a thumbs down to how Chipotle Mexican Grill compensates its top executives.
Most "say on pay" votes go in a company's favor by 95 percent or larger majorities.
The results of the proxy vote, to the board of directors Thursday during the company's annual meeting in Denver, was a strong rebuke of the pay package for Chipotle's co-CEOs, Steve Ells and Montgomery Moran, who last year received $25.1 million and $24.4 million, respectively. Since 2011, the pair have received close to $250 million in stock awards, large blocks of which they have sold off.
Say on pay votes are non-binding, but shareholders, by a 57 percent majority, also took the unusual move of rejecting a request by the company to add 2.6 million shares to its existing stock-incentive plan.Read the Full Article


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Australian-listed energy storage technology company Redflow has been chosen by the New Zealand Rural Connectivity Group (RCG) to provide zinc-bromine flow batteries to store energy in off-grid telecommunication sites in remote rural locations.
New Zealand’s competition enforcement agency, the Commerce Commission, has released a framework paper outlining its approach to implementing new provisions under the Telecommunications Act to improve retail service quality for consumers.
New Zealand’s competition enforcement agency, The Commerce Commission, is undertaking industry and public consultation on its proposed implementation of a new regulatory regime for fibre broadband networks.
Interesting prediction #1 by Juniper w.r.t. 5G over Fibre - but I would suggest that while it may come to[…]
And 60 million years from now interstellar explorers visiting Earth will come across small circular disks with penguin images on[…]
When technology becomes a race to make money out of the dumb rather providing a realiable future proofed service.Stop this[…]
How hopeless is ACMA?We've had mobile phone number porting for 18+ years,with all the fraud and problems,yet it's finally being[…]
I can't find "Privacy Alert" in the Chrome store.


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There’s no greater fashion crime than Crocs or slippers and socks, right? Wrong.
Even a few years ago, wearing Tevas, Crocs or UGGs would have seemed unimaginably gauche. But this summer fugly’ sandals are still going strong – and judging by the wintry woolly slides already on offer at Lucy Folk and ATP Atelier – the trend will continue into winter.
“Comfort has become a huge priority in fashion lately,” observes stylist Lucy Wood. “And the ‘ugly shoe’ has also become a way to add a bit of fun and interest to an outfit.”
Witness: the hiking sandal, which remains popular, although bolder and chunkier than ever.
Luckily for the more minimalist-inclined, there’s an array of brands offering sophisticated, pared-back alternatives at the other end of the sandal spectrum. See: ATP Atelier and A. Emery – or one of the many fashion brands stepping into (sorry) the footwear market, including Camilla & Marc, Albus Lumen and AJE.
Here’s Lucy’s edit..


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Honeywell acquires The Gamewell Co.
ASHLAND, Mass. - Honeywell Fire Solutions Group is expanding its reach in the fire products market, recently announcing its acquisition of privately held The Gamewell Co.
The purchase of the commercial product manufacturer that introduced the first wide-area network fire reporting system is expected to strengthen HoneywellÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s already strong presence in the fire market. The purchase price for the 151-year-old company, owned for more than a decade by businessman David Massad, an investor in automotive dealerships, banks and real estate holdings, was not released.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“It gives us another very old brand that we can expand our distribution with engineered systems distributors,Ã¢â‚¬Â said Mark Levy, president of HoneywellÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Fire Solutions Group.
Gamewell currently has a network of 150 engineered systems distributors, said Levy, who intends to expand upon that by offering Gamewell products in additional markets. That could be internationally, he said, since only five percent of GamewellÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s sales are international compared with 50 percent from the overall fire solutions group.
Now with Gamewell onboard, HoneywellÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s fire solutions group has a significant share of the estimated $1 billion fire market, speculated Lee Devito, president of research and consulting firm FirePro in Andover, Mass. Its other fire solutions group brands include Notifier, FCI, Fire Lite, System Sensor andÃ‚Â Silent Knight, a company bought in 1999.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“The market is really now dividedÃ‚Â up amongÃ‚Â four major players,Ã¢â‚¬Â said Devito. He said those left withÃ‚Â large shares of the fire market include Tyco, Siemens, Edwards Systems Technology and Honeywell.
But compared with HoneywellÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s other fire companies, Gamewell is small in comparison, said Devito, with an estimated $10 million in revenues according to 2000 numbers. GamewellÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s customer base, made up of engineered systems distributors, may have been an appealing aspect of the transaction, he said.
Levy said Honeywell is now in the process of moving GamewellÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s manufacturing and headquarters from here to HoneywellÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s location in Northford, Conn., to tap into marketing and sales support of the larger organization.
Shortly after the acquisition, Honeywell officials were still evaluating which employees will remain with the company. The former president of Gamewell, Bill Abraham, is one such employee remaining onboard. His new role is vice president of sales for Gamewell.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“We want to ensure everyone the Gamewell brand will not only survive, but it has a great future and the prospects have never been better for it,Ã¢â‚¬Â said Levy.


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Ny (Reuters) - Go out Warner Inc's HBO usually discharge a separate online streaming service the following year while making hit shows for example “Games out-of Thrones” available to those who don’t subscribe to satellite tv.
The brand new go on to grab HBO “over-the-top” - mass media slang meaning customers can observe brand new route with just a great broadband commitment - is a huge milestone getting a funnel a lot of time dependent on cord suppliers.
It can be a much deeper catalyst spurring more folks so you're able to eliminate its cable subscriptions of the reducing the fresh cord. It might plus timely most other mass media companies to follow along with HBO's direct.
HBO's chief executive, Richard Plepler, announced the fresh move during a trader big date towards the Wednesday where Day Warner's most other greatest executives discussed intentions to boost the organizations increases.
“From inside the 2015 we shall go beyond the wall and launch a great standalone, over-the-top service into the potential to establish billions during the money,” Plepler told you, to make a regard to HBO's big struck let you know “Online game of Thrones.”
“We shall have fun with most of the setting from the the fingertips to expand. Here is the most enjoyable inflection point one another domestically and worldwide in the current history of HBO.”
Plepler quoted that 10 billion homes in america is broadband-just, in place of cord memberships. Half those individuals homes subscribe to streaming films features. “Such consumers do not have entry to HBO. It’s a massive opportunity that should not untapped,” he told you.
Shares of time Warner, along with home to motion picture facility Warner Bros and cable system avenues Turner Broadcasting, flower 2.dos % to close off at the $, still lacking brand new $85 for each and every express promote out-of Twenty-Basic 100 years Fox Inc that it refuted across the summer.
Online streaming videos supplier Netflix Inc, which revealed quarterly performance towards Wednesday, said they got enough time seen HBO as its ideal opponent.
“It actually was inescapable and you may sensible that they manage sooner offer the provider due to the fact a standalone app,” said Netflix Ceo Reed Hastings from inside the a letter to people. “We will subscribe to one another Netflix and you can HBO due to the fact we has more suggests, so we found it likely both of us do just fine because the customers move to Internet Tv.”
Plepler did not disclose the price or any other details about the newest forthcoming services. HBO already lets wire subscribers to gain access to the stuff - and common suggests like “The Sopranos” and you can “Gender therefore the City” - with the mobiles due to a software known as HBO Go.
HBO's announcement arrives while the Big date Warner feels tension to boost the show speed shortly after it rebuffed an $85 per show give off Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-Basic Millennium Fox into the August.
Date Warner executives showcased the solution cannot slash for the current financially rewarding income source which have cord providers and this HBO Wade commonly break open the places. The fear regarding cable distributors would be the fact people commonly miss a great deal more pricey wire and you will satellite packages in favor of cobbling along with her the own plan.
Plepler mentioned that vendors require chances to increase their organization, which advanced posts is one way to achieve that.
“You will find verbal to almost every Ceo of every significant provider. I really don't think anyone was distressed, it is their broadband in addition to their Internet service provider. I really don't believe some of these everything is mutually exclusive.”
Nonetheless, function HBO totally free you may then upset the content-seller environment, as almost every other mass media companies mull equivalent solutions employing streams.
“Cord coders instance Viacom and you may AE are delighted you to HBO try radiant a light off a route it es McQuivey, an analyst which have Forrester Look.
Pay-tv companies Starz and you may Showtime have indicated they would such to maneuver within the a comparable direction. Showtime, a good unit out of CBS Corp, said inside the a statement toward Wednesday one to a standalone online streaming videos solution try “something which the audience is examining for a while.”
Starz towards Saturday launched plans to offer a direct-to-individual streaming videos solution called Starz Play inside Latin America, West Africa, the guts East and you can Asia, starting next year.


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The consumer’s hip pocket champion, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), has been asked to protect farmers and small business operators from the power of Coles and Woolworths to put a lid on price rises.
Of course, the ACCC is supposed to make sure competition is fair but this request from farmers and other small businesses being strongarmed by our powerful supermarkets to resist price increases creates a dilemma for the consumer watchdog.
The ACCC has always been good at protecting the consumer when a big business with lots of market power rips off consumers. However, its track record of protecting small businesses isn’t as memorable.
And the dilemma is underlined by this plea from Food Industry Alliance, which includes 156,000 farmers, butchers, greengrocers and other food businesses to make Coles and Woolies play fair.
The AFR’s Simon Evans says the $12 iceberg lettuce price problem is a flashpoint symbol of this battle the ACCC will have to adjudicate on.
“Farmers are grappling with big jumps in fertiliser and fuel costs and labour shortages, while food producers are trying to absorb some heavy increases in packaging costs, raw material inputs and energy costs,” Evan explained.
At the same time, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci has publicly announced a price freeze on everyday essentials in his supermarket until the end of the year. But Brad can save on costs by saying ‘no’ to price rises from suppliers, like the 156,000 members of the Food Industry Alliance and even increase the price on non-essentials. As a result, his good deed on essentials won’t hit his profits and share price.
And while Brad and Steve Cain at Coles might be playing hardball with suppliers, the ACCC would like the savings for consumers from the big supermarkets' lid on the price of essentials. Their shareholders would be happy they can do this and not hurt profits and their share prices.
RBA Governor, Dr Phil Lowe would also like it as it reduces inflation growth. And homeowners praying for fewer interest rate rises could also be rooting for Brad and Steve.
So it’s up to the ACCC to work out what’s fair with this dilemma between supermarkets and 156,000 Aussie and family-owned operations.
This battle has to draw in the Small Business Minister, Julie Collins, but when I went through the new ministry, there was no one tagged as Minister for Consumer Affairs!
That’s odd, so it might have to be a job for Albo.


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Three out of four UK businesses at the Airmic conference admitted to having no ecommerce cover to protect against the damage caused by hackers and viruses, finds Lloyd's.
The survey also shows that half the businesses surveyed have been affected by computer viruses and 12% have experienced problems with hacking of their information technology systems.
In addition to asking if businesses had dedicated cyber insurance, Lloyd's also asked businesses to identify the costs of the delays caused by viruses and hacker attacks.
Of those affected by problems, one-in-ten respondents estimated damage to be in the range of £100,000 to £500,000, while the majority, 25%, said the bill was up to £100,000
Max Taylor said: "This survey paints a very worrying picture of unprotected businesses beginning to counter the cost of cyber vandalism.
"What is even more alarming is that without proper ecommerce insurance cover, those costs are going to keep mounting unless there are substantial improvements to IT security in UK organisations.
"Last month, the Love Bug virus was responsible for billions of pounds of damage worldwide and massive business interruption.
"I don't believe there can be any doubt that this is going to be repeated again and again until organisations learn the lessons: tighter security, closer relationships between IT professionals and risk managers, and the recognition that dedicated cyber insurance is vital if revenues and costs are to be protected."
Businesses also admitted to a fear of the ecommerce unknown when surveyed, with respondents identifying exposure to unanticipated liabilities as their major concern.
Last month, a survey by Lloyd's in the US identified ecommerce as the greatest single business risk for the 21st century. Availability of internet liability protection has gone from virtually nothing two years ago to sufficient global insurance capacity to provide cover for risks of up to £200m.


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If you want to spend your time wasting away in Margaritaville, you won't have to go very far to get there.
Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, the restaurant and entertainment chain named after the singer's famous song, will be opening a new 9,000 square-foot venue at the Mall of America in late spring 2016.
In a press release given to BringMeTheNews, it will be located in a space on Level 3, East, near the planned Crayola Experience and the recently relocated Rainforest Cafe.
The massive venue will comprise of a restaurant, "multiple bars," a performance stage and a retail store, promising a selection of burgers, nachos, fried chicken, shrimp and, naturally, margaritas.
"Margaritaville's blend of specialty dining and entertainment, along with its iconic Jimmy Buffett brand is a strong addition to our growing list of unique restaurant offerings," said Jill Renslow, senior VP of marketing and business development at the megamall. "We are excited to offer an ever-expanding variety of destination retailers and restaurants to our guests."
Jimmy Buffett has 23 Margaritaville locations around the world, with one more in San Antonio due to open soon. Most of the restaurants are in the U.S., though there are others in the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, Panama and Australia.
It is the latest in a series of significant announcements from the Mall of America, which along with securing the Crayola Experience is also pushing ahead with yet another expansion, with plans for a $500 million luxury retail, commercial and hotel addition revealed last week.


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Hewlett-Packard’s announcement on Thursday to stop making tablets and smartphones based on webOS surprised many analysts, who said the company buckled under the pressure of Apple’s momentum and growing support for Android.
HP announced it would stop selling webOS devices, including the TouchPad tablets and smartphones, as it looks to transform its operations to focus on enterprises. HP plans to concentrate on its enterprise and printer businesses and sell or spin off its Personal Systems Group (PSG), which is responsible for sales of the PCs and webOS devices.
However, the company said it would look for ways to use and “optimize” the webOS platform, including licensing it to hardware makers. HP acquired webOS along with Palm last year for US$1.2 billion, and at the time said it would use the OS across a range of devices including tablets and printers.
But sales of webOS smartphones and tablets have not been gaining traction in the fast-moving and complex consumer market, said Leo Apotheker, HP’s CEO, on a conference call to discuss third-quarter financial results.
“Sales of the TouchPad are not meeting our expectations,” Apotheker said.
Tough Tablet Market
HP hoped to establish webOS as a clear second OS platform for mobile devices, but the software ecosystem is poor and the TouchPad hardware was not received as anticipated, said HP’s chief financial officer, Cathie Lesjak. The pricing of TouchPad tablets was cut by $100 shortly after launch in July, and the profit margins on those devices grew thinner, Lesjak said.
The TouchPad couldn’t compete in a market dominated by Apple’s iPad and the many available Android tablets, said David Daoud, research director at IDC.
Much like Apple’s mobile device strategy, HP intended to wrap together hardware, software and services but lost patience and decided to cut its losses, said Ezra Gottheil, senior analyst at Technology Business Research.
“With their OS, building the market would’ve taken time. It’s clearly an offering that required patience,” Gottheil said.
Gottheil didn’t expect HP to give up on webOS so quickly as it had the promise of being a high-margin product for HP, much like Apple’s products.
With the decision to separate the hardware and software businesses, HP runs counter to the trend in the mobile market to vertically integrate development. With Google’s planned acquisition of Motorola, Windows Phone became the only major OS whose creator doesn’t also make hardware. Now, however, HP joins Microsoft as developer of an OS that is licensed to hardware makers.
“Now that Google has acquired its own hardware vendor, webOS could be a good alternative for some of the Android-only vendors,” said Chris Hazelton, an analyst with The 451 Group.
Which Phone OS?
While phone makers like HTC and Samsung use other OSes, they rely heavily on Android. Many experts have said they expect those hardware vendors to be wary of Android after Google’s Motorola acquisition, since it’s likely that Google will favor Motorola.
While it looked like Windows Mobile might benefit as a result, Hazelton says that HP’s announcement may put a damper on that potential boost.
“WebOS could be a cheaper alternative to Windows Phones” for hardware makers looking for non-Android options, Hazelton said.
In addition to the likely lower cost for webOS, handset makers would have more options with webOS to choose their own added services. Google and Microsoft both like licensees of their phone software to use their search, map and other services. But with webOS, a handset maker could choose whatever services they wanted or even build their own, Hazelton said.
Still, even though many people have praised the webOS software, the announcement doesn’t look good, since it’s clear that HP was unable to successfully sell phones using the software. That means HP will face a significant challenge: convincing developers to continue working on the software.
Developers must have the confidence in the success of the platform to convince them to spend the money required to develop for it, said Will Stofega, an analyst with IDC.
“You can have the greatest OS in the world, but you also need applications to run on that platform,” Stofega said.


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Apple says it sold 10 million new iPhone 6, 6 Plus models in first weekend after launch
Amnesty faults China's booming industry of police torture tools, calls for export ban
US existing home sales drop 1.8 percent in August; slowdown in investors buying homes
A Closer Look: Ways to hide or secure sensitive photos, data on phones
Video game company deploys Rudy Giuliani to fight lawsuit filed by ex-dictator Manuel Noriega
Apple's new and bigger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus perform well on durability tests
Drought leaves huge California water wholesaler with tightening reserves; 2015 cuts possible
Stocks stumble...Oil prices slide...Small companies take hit...Home sales slow...Mexico mining spill
NY couple admits conspiracy to exploit immigrant workers at 7-Eleven stores in NY, Va.
After Home Depot's data breach, here are 5 ways to protect yourself
Amid Europe's jobs drama, German employers face different problem: finding new apprentices
The fate of a proposed Wal-Mart in Prince George's County is no longer in the hands of the county's council after its Monday vote.
Oculus unveils new prototype virtual reality headset nicknamed Crescent Bay
Between employer contributions and the ability to defer income tax on your own contributions, 401(k) plans often help you come out ahead in retirement saving. However, high fees, expensive investments, poor plan design and a lack of company contributions can sometimes diminish these benefits.
Virginians buy more alcohol at ABC stores, restaurants, leading to record sales in fiscal 2014
By taking advantage of the local school system, you can cut your costs.
Those favorite T-shirts and dresses don't have to be tucked away when the weather turns brisk.
Get to know your plastic better and reap the benefits.
When it comes to this list, you can skip the pricey name brands in favor of the generic version.
Hi: 70 °F | Lo: 52 °F


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Q:I want be sure I’m getting the best value from the batteries I’m buying. Which are best for what devices?
A:The simple answer is that the more technologically advanced a product is, the more likely it is to use more energy. So, you’re better off sticking with cheaper, simpler batteries for items such as toys or baby monitors, while you may consider spending more for higher-performing batteries to use in your MP3 players, cameras or even complicated TV remote controls.
Batteries generate energy through chemical reactions that produce electrons. The most commonly used basic batteries are alkaline batteries that contain zinc and manganese-oxide. Higher-performing lithium-ion batteries, which are rechargeable, are commonly found in laptops and cell phones. They contain lithium and carbon, which allow for a lighter weight but more power that can be retained over a longer time, but are more expensive.
More advanced batteries contain a greater number of chemical ingredients and have a more complicated construction.
It’s a good idea for consumers to consider higher-end batteries for digital cameras, CD players or other such devices, said Kelvin Belle, senior product manager for global marketing at St. Louis, Mo.-based Energizer Holdings Inc.
The more expensive batteries pack more punch, since the chemical mix and shape make the battery more efficient and give more total usage time over the lifetime of the battery.
Energizer’s e2 titanium battery costs about $4.99 for a four-pack of AAs while four non-rechargeable lithium manganese dioxide batteries cost roughly double that.
A device with more complicated functions like a digital camera – that sometimes gets put aside for long periods – could work better with lithium batteries, according to a November review by Consumer Reports, while high-grade alkalines are best for CD players and everything else.
Consumer Reports says rechargeable batteries are usually a better value, but if you must buy disposable, then high-grade alkalines are a good value for everything but digital cameras.
Duracell breaks down its recommendations based on the frequency of use for digital cameras. It promotes its rechargeable batteries for frequent users, like those who take more than 80 photos a month. For moderate users, the company’s Web site advises using its Duracell PowerPix batteries and for occasional users, it says its Ultra Digital batteries are best.
Rechargeable batteries account for a smaller portion of the overall market, but sales have been growing at a rate between 10 percent to 20 percent a year, Belle said. Energizer’s rechargeable battery four-pack costs $10.99.
That extra cost is justified as the batteries are reused over time, according to Responsible Energy Corp. chief executive Curtis Randolph, whose company operates the Greenbatteries.com Web site. The convenience of non-rechargeable batteries, though, still appeals to most consumers, who don’t want to have to plan ahead and recharge in time.
Lithium AA batteries – the most common size – are great for emergency planning, Randolph said. ‘You can put them on a shelf, and they’ll still have power literally eight or nine years later,’ he explained. They also do best in extreme temperatures.
As the population of cell phone-toting, iPod-listening consumers grows, so too does their awareness about battery performance, Belle said. Consumers are more conscious that the type of battery they use can affect their gadgets, he said.
Energizer has even come up with an Energi To Go line, devices that convert the power in regular batteries to power a cell phone or iPod. They’re designed for people on the go who forget to charge, or who find themselves away from an electricity source.


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Apple executives Alan Dye and Craig Federighi recently spoke in an interview about the iPhone 14 Pro feature, the Dynamic Island.
Federighi spoke about Dynamic Island during their interview with Japanese magazine brand Axis. He said the feature was the first major experience for the iPhone since the X model came out in 2018 and lost the Home button.
Dye, who unveiled the feature at the “Far Out” event in September, said Dynamic Island is blurring the line between software and hardware on the iPhone. He called it a classic example of “Apple-like development.” Dye went on to explain how Dynamic Island came about. He and his team devised a use of the extra space now that there is a smaller onboard camera system.
The iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island has been warmly received, some say it was Apple’s best design in years. It is believed that Android manufacturers want to replicate the technology on their devices.


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The Plan structure recently took to Twitter to reveal a new map which showcases the hundreds of merchants throughout the city that accept bitcoin. Part of this strategy included Lugano making bitcoin a de-facto legal tender, which was announced in March 2022. The Plan foundation confirmed on Twitter today that visitors and locals alike can “pay with Bitcoin for food, drinks, art, style, fashion jewelry, vehicles, watches, tattoos, real-estate, local taxes, and services and so much more …”As the bitcoin environment grows, different jurisdictions will continue to contend for the business of Bitcoiners and Bitcoin companies.
- Reflecting On The Genesis Block And Bitcoin On Its 14th Birthday
- A Suggestion For The Sats Symbol


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Mobile World Congress Draws Mobile Industry Heavyweights
Friday, March 11, 2016
Seeking to expand Atlanta’s already-extensive reach into the mobile industry, Invest Atlanta joined attendees from 204 countries at the 2016 Mobile World Congress, the industry’s premier event.
Held in Barcelona, Spain, the 2016 Mobile World Congress featured more than 2,200 exhibiting companies showcasing cutting-edge mobile products and services. The presence of more than 3,600 international media and industry analysts at the event attested to its global significance – and the growing global footprint of the mobile business sector.
The four-day conference and exhibition attracted executives from the world’s largest and most influential mobile operators, software companies, equipment providers, internet companies and companies from industry sectors such as automotive, finance and healthcare, as well as government delegations from across the globe. More than 55 per cent of this year’s Mobile World Congress attendees held C-level positions, including more than 5,000 CEOs, and 21 per cent of attendees for the 2016 show were women.Tweet


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Gray Powell, a graduate from North Carolina State University and an Apple Software Engineer was out celebrating his birthday at an establishment called The Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood City, California. Powell’s responsibilities are to work on the iPhone Baseband Software, which allows the iPhone to make phone calls. On March 18, 2010 the night of his 27th birthday he was at the Redwood City bar celebrating. He was celebrating and even wrote a status message from the iPhone he had on him, “I underestimated how good German beer is.” The phone that he was using was the new iPhone disguised as an iPhone 3G S. And he left that iPhone on a bar stool. Eventually that iPhone found its way into tech blog Gizmodo’s hands at the cost of $5,000 from someone that found it.
The person that sold the lost iPhone to Gizmodo tried playing with the phone he found, but it kept crashing. When he pulled up the Facebook application, Powell’s profile was loaded, confirming that the device belonged to him. Apple bricked the phone remotely using MobileMe so the anonymous person actually open the fake 3G S and found another iPhone within the exterior. Gizmodo reached out to Powell to let him know that they have it and will be giving it back to him. Gizmodo broke the news about the new iPhone and they saw a huge spike in web traffic because of that article. At least 10 million additional views were generated by them breaking the news. [Gizmodo]
Gizmodo even received a legal letter from Apple asking for the device back. “Dear Mr. Lam, It has come to our attention that GIZMODO is currently in possession of a device that belongs to Apple. This letter constitutes a formal request that you return the device to Apple. Please let me know where to pick up the unit.” Signed by Bruce Sewell, SVP and General Counsel of Apple Inc.
Looks like there will be no surprises when the new iPhone is announced. It appears that Powell deleted any traces of finding him on the Internet now. His Facebook account is gone, Flickr account is gone, his Twitter account is gone, and so is his LinkedIn profile. But there are Facebook Pages being created that support Powell for losing the device. The I’m With Powell Facebook page says that 159 people like it and the Save Gray Powell page currently says 11 people like it [Facebook search on Gray Powell].


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Sainsbury's this week hailed the largest worldwide trial of radio frequency electronic stock tagging as a success, writes Lisa Kelly. The trial, which began last year, uses electronic tags to automate...
Twenty-year-old cyber security researcher apprehended on suspicion of involvement
MPs question legal basis for facial recognition trials conducted by police forces
Neither Apple nor Microsoft have yet issued a fix
Trump could stop JEDI cloud contract over competition concerns as bidding comes down Microsoft versus Amazon


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August 01, 2022 13:29
One out of three mom-and-pop stores face closure due to sluggish business even after the worst of coronavirus lockdowns is over.
The Federation of Korean Industries surveyed 500 owners of small businesses across the country from June 30 to July 8, and found that 33 percent are considering closing down.
On top of financial hardships due to soaring prices and high interest rates, the recent resurgence of COVID infections weighs heavily on them.
Troubled owners cited declining sales as the main reason with 32.4 percent, followed by fixed costs including rent and payroll (16.2 percent), and difficulties repaying their debts (14.2 percent).
They suffered an average 13.3 percent decline in sales on-year in the first half of this year even though lockdown has been lifted.
Seven out of 10 respondents saw sales fall, and more than half expect sales in the second half of this year to drop even further.
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com


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After travelling to Madeira with Tui earlier this week, TTG’s special projects editor Madeleine Barber reports on the new holiday travel landscape – and how changes have affected traveller sentiment.
With stringent Covid-19 testing and stricter health and safety rules, there’s no doubt holiday travel in 2021 feels different and comes with new challenges.
But exactly how much of a hassle is it to meet the requirements?
I flew to the Portuguese island of Madeira with Tui on Monday (17 May), the day the government allowed international leisure travel to resume, to explore what Brits can expect from package holidays this summer.
So is the promise of sun, sea and sand enough to make holidays worth the extra effort?
The first – and perhaps largest – hurdle clients need to conquer is testing. Tui is leading the way in simplifying this process by offering its customers subsidised test packages from Chronomics.
A £20pp Green package comprises a lateral flow test and a PCR test to meet the UK government’s requirements for a pre-departure test and another test within two days of returning from a green list destination.
Tui’s Green+ package costs £60pp and also includes the test(s) required by the customer’s destination which for me, as I’m not vaccinated against Covid-19 and was heading to Madeira, was a Fit to Fly PCR test to be taken up to 72 hours prior to departure.


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Security outfit RiskIQ says it has found a new variant of the cyber-crime syndicate Magecart which is has named MakeFrame due to the fact that it creates iframes for skimming payment data from websites.
eCommerce merchant losses to online payment fraud will exceed US$25 billion in 2024, up from just $17 billion in 2020, despite the ongoing implementation of Secure Customer Authentication (SCA) in Europe.
Internet infrastructure has experienced significant growth in demand and is being strained due to the increased amount of people confined to their home because of the coronavirus pandemic, consequently working and shopping remotely due to the enforced precautionary measures, according to a new report.
Would you believe it? Those Hollywood clone-a-fingerprint-in-five-seconds segments are not realistic!
I would have thought that the reason for the questions in the Coronavirus Australia App were self evident. If you[…]
We Live in Dural NSW, still do not have NBN, current ADSL is down most of the day , no[…]
Its a junk hackable unmaintained IOT router, possibly even with a Broadcom wifi chip bug inside. What is the point[…]
The Coronavirus experience will hopefully focus our attention on the benefits of telehealth and the need to eliminate the ‘digital[…]


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The Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU) has partnered with the National Park Service to bring us online versions of a whole slew of paper literature. Most interesting so far, to those studying invasive species, would be the book "Alteration of native Hawaiian vegetation-Effects of humans, their activities and introductions." It includes chapters about the impact on the island of aboriginal peoples, the more recent planting of alien trees, and feral animals. Books and reports are available in .pdf format, and the site promises additional interesting titles are coming soon.
Thanks to a member of the ALIENS-L listserver for sending a link to the site.


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Too much tax, shortage of skilled talent are Indian footwear industry’s biggest challenges: Unistar founder HS Bahety
The Indian footwear industry is still largely un-organized, accounting for nearly 75 per cent of the total footwear production in the country.
Anushruti Singh January 22, 2020
MORE IN Interviews
The footwear market in India is seeing an upsurge due to growing demand for trendy, fancy and comfortable footwear among the country’s young population. According to Research and Markets, the Indian footwear market, which is growing at a CAGR of 4.5 per cent in the period 2017-2023, is expected to reach USD320.44 billion by the end of the forecast period. Second largest footwear producing market after China, India is highly fragmented with close to 75 per cent production coming from the un-organized sector, including micro, small and medium enterprises.
Rapid urbanization, higher disposable income and growing influence of social media are leading to the changing fashion needs of consumers. Today, the footwear market is closely aligned with consumer spending on fashion accessories. . With increasing trend for active and exercise regimes, demand for athletic shoes has grown among non-sportspersons as well.
The changing trend is also leading to manufacturers widening their product portfolio in order to attract consumers and gain competitive edge.
“The industry is definitely growing, especially in the kids and women segment. Indian men were earlier fond of open footwear, but that has changed. Closed footwear is in the trend and we are one of the top manufacturers in this category,” HS Bahety, founder, Unistar Footwear Pvt Ltd tells SMEFutures.com. In an interaction, Bahety talks about various aspects of this growing market.
What’s your take on the current status of footwear industry in India?
Globally, India is second largest footwear producer, after China. Our country produces 2.2 billion pairs of footwear, accounting for approximately nine per cent of the global annual production, while China controls over 60 per cent of the total production. Out of the
2.2 billion pairs produced in India, about 180 million pairs are exported, while the rest (approximately 95 per cent)meets the domestic demand.
As the market data suggests, and in my opinion, footwear market is on the bright side and growing by 5-6 per cent per year. Once there was a time when people were happy with one or two pair of shoes, but today it’s more of an accessory. Consumers, nowadays, are purchasing footwear as per the occasions and have more pairs than ever. However, the average per capita footwear consumption is as low as ~2 pairs per annum when compared to the global average consumption of 3 pairs, while developed countries average of 6-7 pairs by merchandise. But, the increased consumption power is giving the real boost to the industry.
It is also important to note global conflicts that industries are witnessing. Trade war between the US and China can be beneficial for the Indian industrial sectors. There is a pool of opportunities out there, only thing is we must tap them.
You mentioned that the footwear industry is not able to reap the benefits. Could you please elaborate.
There are immense opportunities out there, but few constrictions are hindering the growth that we expect. There are two-three areas, where the government needs to support us. Firstly, footwear manufacturers are dealing with high taxes. The government imposes 18 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on footwear pricedabove Rs 1,000, which affects almost overall business cycle of a manufacturer – especially if it’s a small and medium enterprise. Tax structure can’t be adjusted anywhere else and becomes a part of our cost, adding to the retail price of the footwear, which has to be ultimately paid by the consumers.
Adding to the woes is GST on labour supply, which also stands at 18 per cent. On the one hand, the government wants to increase the employment opportunities, and on the other hand it imposes high tax structure on manpower supply. This contradict each other. If the government is really serious about job creation, then it should reduce 18 per cent GST to 12 per cent. The GST rate cut will induce more domestic job opportunities and will earn more foreign exchange.
Another area where we are suffering is GST on footwear components. Each footwear is made up of various components such as upper , sole etc. If we buy the components to fabricate the shoe upper, 18 per cent tax is payable whereas the final product is taxable at the rate of 5 per cent (if the MRP of the footwear is under Rs 500). So, this is again hindering the growth of the footwear industry.
Manufacturers strongly demand the restructuring of GST taxation at different level.
What are the other challenges footwear manufacturers are facing?
The footwear industry in India is highly labour intensive and currently employs close to three million people. Out of this, almost 30 per cent are women.
However, there is a major shortage of skilled workforce and that’s why we are lagging behind China. I believe measures taken by the government are not enough in providing the skilled workforce for the sector. People are demanding more and more designs and variations in footwear, however, there are fewer number of institutes for footwear related studies. As far as the question of employment generation is concerned, footwear industry is extremely big.. As per a report released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, the industry has the capacity to generate 250 jobs for every investment of Rs 1 crore. The government should bring out firm measures to resolve the challenge.
Even after 95 per cent footwear manufactured in India is consumed domestically, imports from China and Taiwan are still hurting the market. How do you view this?
Yes. Majority of footwear production is still consumed by the Indians, and the export ratio is less than 10 per cent. Then industry is reeling under Chinese imports as they dump at lower rates. People also prefer Chinese footwear over local made as they are cheaper and offers wide variety.
But the important thing is that out of the total Indian footwear imports, 63 per cent is Chinese, which have reduced by 295 per cent in last 5 years, according to the Council for Footwear, Leather and Accessories (CFLA). However, the change in GST impositions of five per cent for products up to the trade value of Rs 1,000 has given relief to the customers, traders as well as the sector at large. This in turn has helped us to reduce the Chinese competition drastically. In my knowledge, very few Chinese footwear containers are coming in.
What are the trends you are seeing in the industry?
With the expanding market, the needs of consumers are also changing fast. Rapid urbanization, higher disposable incomes and greater penetration of media have led to changing fashion needs of the consumers. With this, casual footwear segment still dominates the Indian market and accounts for two-third of the total footwear retail market. Men’s footwear dominates, accounting for nearly 58 per cent of the entire Indian footwear retail market. Indian men were earlier fond of open footwear, but that has changed. Closed footwear is now in trend, and we are one of the top manufacturers in this category. While, kids and women segment are also seeing growth.
The designing trends are also changing. Today, the upper that are in fashion is of flynet uppers i.e knitted uppers. PU leather (Polyurethane coated leather) and Suede leather footwear is in demand. Consumers are attracted towards luxury-looking products, which is pushing the domestic manufacturers to be more competitive in their designs. Online sales of footwear have increased manifold over the past five years, giving local manufacturers a competitive platform. Players are convinced that brick and mortar stores still play a strong role in this industry.
International brands are flooding in the Indian market and consumers are shifting towards them, how Indian manufacturers are reacting?
There are few international brands such as Adidas, Nike, Puma that have made a way into the Indian market very well. But again, they have a separate status, separate customer base and altogether separate price range. We are not at all trying to compete with them because most of the Indian brands and manufacturers do not have that kind of set-up and techniques, also marketing and branding can be a crucial business decision. These big brands have big budgets for marketing activities, whereas most of the Indian manufacturers when compared have credit limitations when it comes to settling marketing strategies.
Unistar is among the top 25 shoe manufacturers in India. We have been constantly upgrading ourselves with the changing trends, whether it is in terms of technology, shoe designs, marketing style, or selection of models. We have a set of in-house designers and we have full-fledged laboratory in Bahadurgarh, Haryana, where we perform different parameter tests on our products.
Our road map is to increase the manufacturing capacity and go for backward integration in our company (the process in which a company purchases or internally produces segments of its supply chain). Despite few sectoral challenges, the future of Indian footwear industry looks bright overall and we are looking forward to bringing out the best products for our consumers.


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ROKA and IRONMAN Expand Relationship with Global Partnership
IRONMAN, a Wanda Sports Holdings company, announced today a multi-year global partnership that expands its relationship with ROKA, the Austin-based performance multisport brand. This new partnership makes ROKA the Official Global Wetsuit and Swim Partner of IRONMAN® and the IRONMAN World Championship and IRONMAN 70.3® World Championship events.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180531006432/en/
The most inspiring swim start in all of triathlon. #FindFaster #IMKona (Photo: Business Wire)
The partnership between IRONMAN and ROKA will further a relationship that began in 2014. Besides an expanded physical presence at IRONMAN events across the globe, ROKA and IRONMAN are collaborating on IRONMAN World Championship swim products this October in honor of IRONMAN’s 40th Anniversary. Additionally, ROKA will now sell co-branded swim products online via www.ironmanstore.com and roka.com, and will continue to give out the ROKA Fastest Swimmer Award to congratulate the fastest age group athlete during each event’s swim.
“We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with IRONMAN,” said ROKA CEO and Co-Founder Rob Canales. “IRONMAN is the best in the world at providing the ultimate endurance race experience, and ROKA is the best in the world at supporting those athletes with technical products that meet the demands of the day. We’re excited to collaborate with IRONMAN on new products and services and to immediately bring our existing ones to more athletes around the world.”
In the last six years, ROKA has designed the world’s most advanced high-performance wetsuits, goggles, eyewear, swimskins and race apparel, which have been worn to numerous world titles and over 50 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 wins by the world’s best triathletes, including Javier Gómez Noya, Lucy Charles, Tim Reed, Melissa Hauschildt, Luke McKenzie, Meredith Kessler, Linsey Corbin, Jesse Thomas and more. With this new partnership, IRONMAN athletes will be able to sample ROKA’s groundbreaking technology before they buy at each IRONMAN event in the IRONMAN Village and have exclusive access to new products during the lead up to their races.
“I first tried ROKA’s Maverick wetsuit and Viper swimskin in 2014 and have been using both ever since, however the products have at times been difficult to find outside the U.S.” said Javier Gómez Noya, two-time IRONMAN 70.3 World Champion who splits time between Spain and New Zealand. “With this expanded partnership, IRONMAN athletes from around the globe can now get their hands on the cutting-edge technology that has been my secret weapon for the past four years.”
Just six years from its humble beginnings in a garage in Austin, ROKA has grown to become the wetsuit and swimwear choice of countless triathletes and hundreds of multisport teams around the world, and its Viper swimskin has been trusted by more athletes at the IRONMAN World Championships than any other brand for multiple years running.
“ROKA embodies the spirit of innovation and ingenuity that aligns well with the needs of our athletes,” said Matthieu Van Veen, Chief Revenue Officer for IRONMAN. “We are eager to expand this partnership to cover all of our events globally and bring ROKA’s swimwear products to our athletes around the world.”
In 2018, ROKA will have a presence across the IRONMAN® and IRONMAN 70.3® Series, including 40 races in North America, 32 in Europe, and 13 in Oceania, as well as the IRONMAN World Championship and IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. Each IRONMAN race consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run while the IRONMAN 70.3 race series events consist of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run.
For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com.
Find out more about ROKA at roka.com.
ROKA started in a garage in Austin, Texas with humble beginnings and laser-beam focus. ROKA’s mission is to unlock human potential. To equip, empower, inspire and ignite. ROKA serves those who seek to redefine the standard, to push themselves to the limit – whatever and wherever that may be.
Since its launch in 2013, ROKA athletes have won over a dozen world titles and have been instrumental in the design and development of an unprecedented collection of patented and award-winning products. In 2016, ROKA was proud to send 18 athletes to the Rio Olympics, taking home Gold and Bronze. In PyeongChang, ROKA continued the tradition, taking home Olympic Gold and Bronze in their Advanced Performance eyewear. 2018 has seen elite athletes around the globe in running, cycling, triathlon, speed skating, beach volleyball, and off-road endurance events trusting ROKA eyewear for their most important performances on the biggest of stages.
ROKA products are available worldwide at www.roka.com and through select retailers. Visit us online to learn more about our growing lines of premium performance eyewear. Follow ROKA on social media at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
A Wanda Sports Holdings company, IRONMAN operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock n’ Roll Marathon Series®, Iron Girl®, IRONKIDS®, International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series races, road cycling events including the UCI Velothon® Series, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, premier marathons including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, and other multisport races. IRONMAN’s events, together with all other Wanda Sports Holdings events, provide more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. The iconic IRONMAN® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Beginning as a single race, IRONMAN has grown to become a global sensation with more than 200 events across 50 countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.
About Wanda Sports Holdings
Wanda Sports Holdings is the world’s leading sports business entity, founded to capture the opportunities in the global sports industry and to contribute to the prosperous international sports landscape – in three key areas: 1) Spectator Sports (media and marketing business), 2) Participation Sports (active lifestyle business), 3) Services (digital, production and service business). Wanda Sports Holding incorporates the international sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media, the iconic endurance brand IRONMAN, and Wanda Sports China. The headquarters are in Guangzhou, China.
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Instagram, a free image editing application (which became popular on Apple's iOS), was officially launched for the Android platform yesterday. And within a day of its launch, the app has already been downloaded more than a million times from Google Play. Additionally, there are already more than 0.43 million Android users in the waiting list for downloading it.
Instagram already has more than 30 million registered users on the iOS platform and more than 1 billion photos have already been uploaded, with over 5 million photos being uploaded on a daily basis. The app can run on any camera phone running on the Android 2.2 operating system or above with support for OpenGL ES 2 (a special graphics processing language that most of the smartphones support today).
Although the Android app offers a fairly similar experience when compared to the iOS app, there are a few features that have not been included in the first version of the Android app (like Tilt Shift/Blur, Share from Feed, Live Preview and Share to Flickr). But the company claims that the upcoming versions will bridge the differences.
The app is available for download in every country and supports English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish languages.
Instagram was launched in October 2010 by co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and the app allows users to snap pictures, apply filters on them (to transform the look and feel) and then share then on Instagram or upload them to other social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. Some of the app's features include; free custom designed filters and borders; instant sharing to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Foursquare (Flickr coming very soon); interaction with friends through giving and receiving likes and comments; full front and back camera support, among others.
"We're excited to bring you Instagram for Android. We've been working tirelessly to make this new Android app a first-class mobile photo-sharing experience and we have been meticulous about translating the Instagram experience to the Android platform. The Android app offers an extremely familiar Instagram experience when compared to the iOS app and you will find all the same exact filters and community as our iOS version," read an official Instagram blog.
The tremendous initial success of the app confirms what various app developers always claim; that even non-gaming apps can become popular if they can make a difference in the lives of the users. Also, the speed at which the app is being downloaded as of now, there are chances that it could surpass the '10 million downloads in just 3 days' mark set by the newest instalment of the popular Angry Birds game called Angry Birds Space.
Although we cannot deny the fact that most of the functions (filters, effects etc) that Instagram offers are already being offered by a number of different apps that are available on Google Play. So maybe this is just an initial hype that will die down, only time will tell.


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Upcoming Trends in World Poultry
In the year 2012, the projected expansion of the worldwide meat production is 2 percent, thus taking the total figure to 302 million metric tons. Most of the production is going to come from Asia, especially from Russia, China, India, Turkey and Japan according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. According to a number of poultry analysts and researchers, the worldwide markets for poultry are going to grow on an annual rate of 5 % in almost all of the countries. All the variations in terms of the capital growth are also going to see a major change in the amounts that are consumed on a yearly basis. An important thing to note here is the fact that the most development would be seen in the developing countries in comparison to the developed countries. One reason for thing being the environmental conditions in the developing countries and some of the developed Asian countries are well suited for poultry farming. Japan is also now increasing the use of various techniques and measures in order to increase the poultry output, all because till now it has been unable to properly meet its meat consumption needs. According to a number of different sources, the top 5 poultry producing countries are:
- United States
On a global rate, production of all the primary poultry products has been increasing on a rapid pace. This is the clear cut reflection of the increase in the meat demands and it also comes to reflect the consumption patterns and how they are changing in the year 2012 and for the upcoming years. The consumers now also demand the meat at a low price due to which all these countries are paying attention to increase the production and efficiency as stated by various reports published by the world poultry industries. The increase in the production of chicken meat in the world has been nearly 3.8 percent. All these statistics do not take into account the value that has been added into these poultry products, whether in terms of food processing or the formation of more sophisticated procedures for processing.
According to a number of surveys and economic analysis of the markets, the largest increases in terms of chicken meat production have been seen in Russia, India, China and Brazil. From the year 2000 to 2008, the output in terms of chicken production rose from 8 million to 8.9 million ton. From 2008 onwards, the growth has not been so agile, all because of the great depression and recession in almost all of the countries. The recession has also posed a number of challenges for the poultry sectors all over the world. But now as the world is moving towards the stage of economic stability, new trends in the poultry meat production are likely to emerge more rapidly. In comparison to Europe, more than half of the chicken meat production came from Russia which is nearly 1.24 million tons. This indeed reflects some high and profitable investment opportunities in the countries, especially in Russia and India. The share of Europe in terms of the worldwide global meat production has fallen from 16 percent to 15.3 percent. Furthermore, the capital required for investment would also be less than the one required for starting a poultry meat business in the United States.
In order to provide a boost and all sorts of encouragement to the farmers and all other individuals involved in the sector, the governments have offered various compensations and subsidies for the purpose of increasing the export. This step is also going to play a vital role in order to meet the demand and supply of poultry meat inside and outside the countries.
Below is the table for chicken meat production in Europe in tons:
All the above mentioned figures are till the year 2010. The president of the Russian federation, Vladimir Putin has also signed the Food Security Doctrine, in which he has stated that country is going to increase its food self-efficiency to 85 %.
For Asia, exports of Frozen/Chicken Meat in tons:
|China, Hong Kong SAR||134,089|
|China, MACAO SAR||461,161|
The fall in:
In terms of the important market purchasing, Vietnam, China, Thailand and Turkey have been quite active. But the leading importer of the chicken and broiler meat in the region is Japan with nearly 900,000 tons imported in 2011.
Mass Issues and Uncertainties
Animal diseases and various outbreaks is also one of the major problems faced by the top 5 poultry meat producing countries, which may also come to increase the cost of production. They are also going to effectuate the international and domestic markets pretty heavily. So, it now evident that the worldwide meat markets are really fragmented due to the limits sanitary conditions.


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High levels of growth forecast for plastics
When in autumn this year the world’s No. 1 trade fair for plastics and rubber brings industry experts flocking from all continents to Düsseldorf between 24 and 31 October, the current significance of polymer materials will once again be plain for all to see. Plastics make cars safer and more comfortable, lighten the weight of jet aeroplanes and allow them to fly higher, give packaging its transparency and ability to lock in aromas, provide sound and heat insulation for buildings and even prevent burning in many frying pans. Over a period of little more than half a century, the global consumption of synthetic materials has shot up from virtually nothing to more than 200 million tonnes. And growth is expected to continue in the coming years. Many experts are predicting a rosy future for plastics.
John Feldmann , BASF
Whenever the subject of plastics’ virtues and their contribution to energy efficiency arises, then John Feldmann, Member of the Board of Executive Directors at chemicals group BASF, has on the tip of his tongue the story of the remarkable reduction in heating oil consumption in the renovated Luwoge houses. The real estate company within the BASF Group owns a residential quarter in Ludwigshafen that was built around 1920. Average annual consumption of heating oil in the apartments was about 25 litres per square metre. Following extensive renovations, that figure was pushed down to under three litres. Aside from the use of a fuel cell in addition to a heat-recovery ventilator, it was above all the thorough insulation of the exterior walls with plastic foam and the installation of highly insulating windows with PVC frames that achieved this miracle.
In conclusion, Feldmann likes to add that today systematic insulation of renovated old buildings can successfully reduce average consumption to one litre per square metre. Which goes to show not only how effective plastic foam is but also just what potential still lies within these man-made materials. Especially considering that in Germany alone, an estimated 20 million timeworn and insufficiently insulated homes are waiting for thorough renovations to cut back on heating oil costs and CO2 emissions. But there is also an abundance of untapped opportunities in transport – opportunities for plastics to make cars, planes, ships, trains and buses lighter, more comfortable and safer. And let’s not forget packaging – no other material packages as many products and at the same times consumes so little material.
An increase of 5.5 percent per year
Qualified chemist Feldmann, and with him BASF, foresee a generally bright future for plastics full of growth opportunities in many markets and for many applications. “Plastics are energy-efficient materials and for that reason, if for no other, will continue to experience high demand,” said Feldmann in early July at one of his company’s press conferences in the run-up to K 2007. He pointed out that global demand for polymers has expanded by on average 5.5 percent annually since 1990. He further anticipates that this trend in yearly growth of roughly five percent is likely to hold until 2015. This constant growth will be a common feature in all regions. The biggest gains, according to BASF, will be in Asia.
Looking at the per capita consumption of plastics on the various continents, it becomes clear that Asia, above all, has the potential for further significant and sustained growth. With the progressive development of Asian economies and rising levels of individual prosperity in these countries, demand will continue to flourish past 2015. It is therefore equally clear that the focus of future plastics activity will be in Asia and the Middle East. It’s here that in the coming years capital will be directed at new plants as well as high-performance research and development centers.
Experts in the plastics producing industry predict that per capita consumption of plastics in Asian countries will climb to about 24 kilograms a year by 2010, compared to 2005 when it was a mere 15 kilograms. With a population count far exceeding 2.5 billion, that would add up to consumption of some 23 million additional tonnes each year. Although the well-known standard materials such as PE, PP and PVC will account for the majority of that figure, manufacturers of high-quality speciality plastics will also be able to look forward to strong sales. Not least because in the coming years, this region is anticipating robust growth in automotive and drive technologies as well as packaging and industrial applications in general.
Crossing the 300-million-tonne mark
PlasticsEurope, the association of European plastics producers headquartered in Brussels, also assumes that global plastics consumption will swell by somewhere in the region of five percent year on year until 2010. The rates of increase, however, are expected to be very unevenly distributed. Asia (excluding Japan) and Eastern Europe are the regions where the association predicts the biggest escalations of over six percent. For Europe and America, in contrast, increases of about 3.5 percent are on the cards and a mere two percent in Japan. Nevertheless, global plastics production is set to break through the 300-million-tonne mark sometime around 2010. For the sake of comparison – in 1950 not much more than one million tonnes of plastics were being produced worldwide. A quarter of a century later in 1976, production levels had just reached 50 million tonnes.
About a quarter of the plastics currently manufactured originate in Western Europe. With eight percent of global output, Germany is the top producer in the European Union. France comes a distant second contributing three percent of the global total. North America (the USA and Canada) is responsible for roughly 24 percent of the polymers manufactured around the world and Asia (excluding Japan) generates 30 percent. Japan weighs in with 6.5 percent while Africa and the Middle East produce six percent – a figure which is likely to change in the coming years. The Middle East and Saudi Arabia, in particular, are poised to boost output substantially in the coming years. At the same time, the desert nation plans on investing heavily in its plastics processing capabilities in order to profit more directly from the wealth in its oil wells.
Peter Orth PLASTICS EUROPE
Peter Orth, Regional Director of the German section of PlasticsEurope, is confident that production and consumption of plastics worldwide will continue to rise. He is more hesitant about picking the dominant plastics applications of the future. Long-term predictions in this regard, he points out, have repeatedly missed the mark, especially when it comes to a material with as much innovative potential as plastics. After all, the truth is that many innovations have been made possible by plastics in the first place. “That’s why there can be no doubt for me that as an all-purpose material, plastics will flourish in every field.” The chemistry graduate foresees above-average growth everywhere that “plastics contribute directly to handling energy more efficiently”. He also believes that we can look forward to “some surprise or other”. A spontaneous final question comes to Orth’s mind: “Who of us would have guessed ten years ago that plastic bottles for mineral water would displace the conventional glass version so quickly?”
Plastics vs other packaging materials
And who would have guessed a few decades ago that globalisation, self-service and the trend towards deep-frozen foods and pre-cooked meals as well as other features of modern life would alter the deeply embedded habits of centuries and totally turn around the need for packaging? The chief beneficiaries of the dramatic changes on the packaging market have been plastics. Increasingly, they are ousting conventional materials. According to the Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung (Association for Packaging Market Research – GVM) in Wiesbaden, evidence of this can be found in the ongoing decline in the proportion of tin cans. For generations, the tin can was the packaging of choice for preserving fruit, vegetables and a most varied array of fish and meat products. But today, ever fewer of these are needed, leading to diminishing production numbers. Statistics provided by the GVM indicate that between 2003 and 2004, the manufacture of tin cans dropped by a total of eight percent. The cause of this trend, as identified by the Wiesbaden market researchers, lies in the unrelenting pressure on tinned preserves from encroaching refrigerated products in deep-drawn plastic containers.
Another example can be found in packaging materials for beverages. In Germany, thermoplastic polyester (PET) leads as the material of choice for 38 percent of drinks. More than every third beverage bottle is blown from PET. Glass ranks second with 27 percent followed by cans with 17 percent. Across the Federal Republic, the market for mineral water bottles has largely been cornered by polyester bottle blowing companies. Almost three quarters of natural spring water arrives on retailers’ shelves in Germany in PET containers. In contrast, this variety of polyester is seldom filled with beer. Here, there is still plenty of catching up to do and consequently another growth opportunity for plastics. In global terms, PET has a mere three percent share of the beer packaging market. Even PET’s six percent share of the German brewing market – twice the global figure – represents relatively slim pickings, leaving lots of room for further expansion.
But change and the resulting growth it represents for plastics is not only a feature of the packaging and construction industries. In the automotive industry as well, the opportunities for implementing polymer applications and substitutions are far from exhausted. Here, too, a major goal over the coming years will be to make a substantial dent in fuel consumption and emissions through the increased use of plastic products. The Austrian Gesellschaft für umfassende Analysen (Corporation for Comprehensive Analyses – GUA) in Vienna has investigated to what extent plastics can decrease fuel consumption and emissions by cutting down on the weight of a car. It was discovered that around 88 percent of the total energy associated with a car over its entire life cycle is used to create motion. In contrast, the production of the car and the manufacture of the materials required employ only about six percent respectively. Which makes it apparent that plastics can play an important role by reducing its weight and thereby slashing petrol intake and CO2 emissions during the dominant phase in a vehicle’s life cycle – its use. The substitution of 100 kilograms of plastics for distinctly weightier materials results in a marked saving in fuel of 0.3 to 0.5 litres per 100 kilometres. It makes sense that to achieve the ambition of building ever lighter cars through the use of appropriate materials, more plastics need to go into the automotive mix.
Taking full advantage of synthetic alternatives is the key to saving fuel and easing the burden of emissions on the atmosphere. A good example is the replacement of the ponderous glazing with a vastly lighter plastic equivalent. GE Plastics (GEP) is currently pushing a development in this regard which has already been in the pipeline for years. The American raw materials group has recently opened a European “Automotive Glazing Center of Excellence” in Bergen op Zoom on the Dutch coast. Here, carmakers and their suppliers are presented with the compelling advantages of windscreens and windows made from Lexan, a GE Plastics polycarbonate (PC). Rick Pontillo, general manager of Global Application Technology at GEP, shows his customers the calculations proving that vehicle glazing is one of the areas representing the largest potential growth for plastics in the automotive industry. If every side window and rear windscreen in all the cars registered in Europe were replaced with a PC alternative, 2.1 billion litres of fuel would be saved annually. Plus, some 5.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions would be prevented. In other words, more than 200,000 additional tonnes of polycarbonate would suddenly be called for.
No doubt that would be an equally happy day for Bayer AG in Leverkusen, as one of the companies within the German group is Bayer MaterialScience, which also boasts a polycarbonate in its catalogue: Makrolon. What’s more, Bayer MaterialScience is not only active in developments relating to products currently in its portfolio but also potential applications for the future. In a word, the focus is very much on the markets of tomorrow and those of the more distant future, and the plastics they will require in ten or twenty years when the magical 300-million-tonne mark already lies in the past.
Within the Bayer MaterialScience New Business department, a Creative Center has been set up for the research of future trends. Its aim is the early identification and systematic investigation of technological and social changes. From these findings, concepts are derived that (potentially) highlight the need for development and market opportunities for new plastics applications. In parallel with the company’s product-specific research departments, the specialists in New Business set things in motion for ideas that will probably only materialise in ten or more years’ time. These ideas may, however, make all the difference to whether or not the rosy future forecast by experts for polymers becomes a reality.
K 2007 Press Office


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It looks like Samsung is gearing up for the launch of the Galaxy Watch Series. As the launch is getting closer, the devices have started appearing on many certification websites. The Galaxy Watch 4 has visited the FIMKO Certification website carrying model numbers and battery information on the previous day. Now, the Galaxy Watch 4 And Watch Active 4 have received the 3C Certification.
A couple of hours back, the Galaxy Watch 4 Series have appeared on the 3C Certification website (Via myfixguide). The 3C Certification generally reveals the battery information of the gadget. But this time, the charging features of the upcoming Watch Series have been displayed.
If we move closer to the listing, the Galaxy Watch 4 And Watch Active 4 have appeared with different model numbers. For a piece of precise information, we have dropped them below.
- SM-R860 (Watch Active4 39mm)
- SM-R870 (Watch Active4 43mm)
- SM-R880 (Watch4 41mm)
- SM-R890 (Watch4 45mm)
Like its predecessor (Galaxy Watch 3), the new watches also loads with support for 5W (5V, 1A) charging. But, surprisingly, as per the 3C Certification, the Galaxy Watch 4 Series may not equip with a charger inside the box. Apart from this, it is also confirmed that the company may use an old wireless charging dock for this series.
Regarding the operating system, starting from the Galaxy Watch 4 Series, all the new watches will boot with the latest Wear OS, which is currently under design.
In terms of availability, the Galaxy Watch 4 Series are expected to be unveiled in Samsung’s upcoming UNPACKED event, which is rumoured to be held on August 3. Furthermore, Samsung may also introduce a new smartphone in the event alongside the Galaxy Watch 4 Series.
Up Next: June 2021 Security Patch update in now rolling out to the Galaxy Note 20 Series.


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When the recession hit Beehive Kitchenware Co., a firm that makes home décor and cooking tools, owners Jim Dowd and Sandra Bonazoli turned to a business consultant for help.
As Dowd mentions in the story, “Little Guys Tough It Out,” the business began to turn the corner after they implemented the consultant’s suggestions, such as expanding the product line beyond the signature pewter products and into ceramics and wood. Although Dowd and Bonazoli had thought about making such changes, the consultant “was able to show us the numbers and convince us that it was the right way to go,” says Dowd.
Business owners are increasingly turning to consultants for guidance as they struggle to boost sales amid slower consumer spending, according to a recent article from CNBC. And supply is meeting the demand. The high number of unemployed professionals has “created a wave of ‘overnight consultants,’” the article notes – a trend that’s also illustrated in WSJ’s story, “Few Businesses Sprout, With Even Fewer Jobs.” …
More than a third of small-business owners say the country is still in a recession, and their plans for hiring and capital expenditures are mixed, a recent survey shows.
The American Express OPEN Fall 2011 Small-Business Monitor polled 814 owners and managers at companies with fewer than 100 employees. The Monitor is released each spring and fall.
Some 38% of respondents said the recession is ongoing, down slightly from the 44% who reported the same last year. And 69% said they anticipate a double-dip recession, down from 74% a year ago.
“What I see is that a lot of business owners are still in a holding pattern,” says Alice Bredin, small-business adviser to American Express OPEN. “They are still shoring up what they have in hand today.” …
Citing weak demand and growing economic uncertainty, more small businesses expect shrinking revenue and profits to continue in the year ahead, as confidence drops to a two-year low, a new survey finds.
Based on a poll of more than 1,700 chief executives of small U.S. firms, Vistage International reported Tuesday that its third-quarter confidence index fell to 83.5 from 92.9 in the second quarter and 105.2 at the start of the year.
The declines put the quarterly index at its lowest point in two years, the small-business CEO networking group reported…
Today’s story, “Where the Action Is,” shows several communities across the country that have become hotbeds for certain industries – and that have helped fuel growth in other, related industries.
Take Asheville, N.C., for example, which has 10 local breweries, plus two more under construction. Asheville’s ice cream parlors and bakeries – and even a local mustard company called Crooked Condiments – have beer-flavored edibles. Local artists make the tap handles and beer labels.
A start-up called Microbroo LLC specializes in beer shampoos, conditioners and body washes. Brad Pearsall, who founded the company with his wife last year, says the products — which are as seasonal as the brews — are not alcoholic thanks to a boiling process used in production. …
Conditions have improved at small businesses in the last quarter. But the future outlook has worsened, according to the latest Wells Fargo Small Business Index, released Thursday.
Compared with last quarter, fewer owners expect revenues and job positions at their companies to increase in the coming year. And fewer business owners expect to increase capital expenditures.
But while the outlook got gloomier, actual business conditions in the last quarter improved.
For instance, 53% of owners say their companies’ financial situation today is good or very good – that’s up from 47% who said the same three months ago. And 14% say the number of job positions increased over the last 12 months, compared with 10% who said the same last quarter….
Canadian, Caribbean and Latin-American entrepreneurs have the most positive economic outlook, according to the Global Entrepreneur Indicator Business Environment Report released Friday.
The survey, conducted by nonprofit Entrepreneurs’ Organization, asked 1,200 business owners from 38 countries for opinions on the economic environment as well as details about their own current business conditions. All respondents had more than $1 million in annual revenue.
More than 90% of Canadian entrepreneurs expect improvement in the economy in the coming six months. Nearly three-quarters of entrepreneurs from the Caribbean and Latin America said the same.
“This could be due to the stability that Canada is experiencing relative to the financial crises in Europe, the political and social turmoil in the Middle East, and the continued unease in the U.S. markets,” says Sally Ernst, lead researcher of the Global Entrepreneur Indicator. …
More federal-contract dollars went to small firms in 2010 than 2009, according to a report released Friday.
Small businesses won $97.95 billion, or 22.7% of eligible contracts last year, up from 21.9% in 2009, but still shy of the 23% goal the government set.
The Small Business Administration, which issues the annual contracting scorecard, says the increase came from cross-collaboration efforts between government agencies to find and solicit contract opportunities for more small firms. The SBA intends to continue those efforts to boost the numbers next year.
The higher 2010 figures, which boast the largest single-year increase in more than five years, also came in part from a greater effort from small firms to procure the contracts. …
Laying off staff can be especially trying for small-business owners. They often have close personal relationships with their employees and know firsthand the impact a job loss will have on those people’s lives. And on a professional level, owners have the burden of operating and growing their firms with a leaner staff while keeping the morale of the company up.
As unemployment numbers continue to dominate the news headlines, owners have yet another reason to worry about layoffs: legal action from former employees.
The Department of Labor reported 40,000 wage-and-hour complaints during fiscal 2010, a 15% increase from 2009, according to the weekly industry publication Business Insurance, which is owned by Crain Communications Inc. …
After trimming costs in response to lower demand and tighter credit during the recession, the nation’s small businesses are now looking to grow, with capital spending and hiring plans up, American Express reported Friday.
In a survey of more than 700 small businesses nationwide, 56% said they’re ready to take on financial risks to expand.
Among 44% of owners planning capital investments, up from 38% last fall, most are buying computer systems and software, software licenses and new computers, the survey found. At the same time, 35% expect to hire full- and part-time employees, up from 28%…
Despite fears of rising interest rates, the nation’s small- and medium-sized business owners had a more positive outlook on the economy last month, with many expecting higher sales in the coming year, Office Depot reported Thursday.
In a survey of 1,001 owners, 56% said they expect the economy to improve and 70% anticipate an increase in sales, the Boca Raton-based office supplies store chain reported.
At the same time, 80% said they are concerned with inflation and 74% are worried about obtaining bank loans and financing, the survey found…
America’s entrepeneurs are executives who build companies from the ground up. In Charge provides news, analysis and in-the-trenches commentary about small-business management. Produced by Sarah E. Needleman, Emily Maltby and Angus Loten, with contributions from the Wall Street Journal staff and others. Have a comment or tip? Write to firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Manufacturing companies in today’s competitive global business climate face a seemingly insurmountable dichotomy: the need to develop, produce, and launch more innovative products of increasing complexity in less time and at lower cost while maintaining consistently high levels of quality.
Traditional product development and manufacturing approaches are inadequate for creating increasingly complex products, in less time and at lower cost, without making trade-offs that negatively impact quality. This challenge is driving the businesses towards automating product development and adopting smart manufacturing processes. Best-in-class manufacturers are adding integrated virtual prototyping and simulation technologies to provide higher levels of innovation, automation, and data exchange as part of the move to smart manufacturing. Instead of engaging in repeated rounds of physical testing, manufacturers are leveraging integrated, easy-to-use, and automated design simulation and analysis tools such as those developed by Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS Corp.


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Nikkei rises for 5th day to a new 33-month high, Panasonic soars
TOKYO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average climbed for a fifth straight day to a fresh 33-month peak on Monday as a softer yen led exporters higher, and hints of a recovery for troubled consumer electronics companies saw Panasonic Corp and Sharp Corp attract buying from retail investors. The Nikkei rose 0.6 percent to 11,260.35, and the broader Topix gained 1.4 percent to 955.75.
- Tearful Thai PM urges protesters to take part in election
- Google bus blocked in San Francisco gentrification protest
- North Korea's "reign of terror" worries South's leader
- Chinese hackers spied on Europeans before G20 meeting: researcher
- Putin dissolves state news agency, tightens grip on Russia media


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Galaxy S 4 sales start next week
Samsung's flagship phone will be offered by major, minor firms
NEW YORK — U.S. wireless carriers have started revealing prices for Samsung's new flagship phone, the Galaxy S 4, which goes on sale starting next week.
AT&T Inc. has started taking advance orders and says phones will ship starting April 30. It's charging $200 for the base model, with 16 gigabytes of memory, under a two-year contract. Staples says it will start selling the AT&T model on April 26.
Sprint Nextel Corp. starts taking advance orders today and says in-store sales start April 27. It charges $250 for the base model, or $150 if the buyer is coming over from another carrier.
T-Mobile USA starts taking advance orders next Wednesday, and in-store sales start May 1. It's charging $150 up front and $20 per month for two years under its new installment plans. Those plans replace two-year service contracts that most carriers require. T-Mobile has abandoned them in favor of cheaper month-to-month plans.
Verizon Wireless has said it will sell the phone, but hasn't announced a release date or price. Smaller carriers U.S. Cellular, Leap Wireless' Cricket and C Spire will also sell the phone.
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